Display case



p 8, 19.70 L. N. JEFFERSON 3,527,514

DISPLAY CASE Filed Oct. 24, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'Sept. 8, 1970 L. N. JEFFERSON 3,527,514

' DISPLAY CASE Filed Oct. 24, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. LESLIE N. JEFFERSON United States Patent 3,527,514 1 DISPLAY CASE Leslie N. Jefferson, Rte. 3, Box 357, Canby, Oreg.

Filed Oct. 24, 1968, Ser. No. 770,197 Int. Cl. A47b 67/02, 81/00 U.S. Cl. 312-234 4 Claims ABSTRACT. OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the art I am aware of display cases of this general type, for the most part, simply provide a selection of the various colors, styles and designs of the merchandise being presented to the prospect.

In the instant display case a prospective buyer may be shown not only a selection of tile designs for a swimming pool wall border but further, the prospect may view the tile design in combination with the coping member which constitutes the upper periphery of the pool wall enclosure. By reason of the growing popularity of home swimming pools the aesthetic features of the pool structure have become of increased importance, as evidenced by the great variety of pool configurations presently available. Further advances in pool design encompass the use of artistically designed copings used with the colored ceramic tile border strips extending about the pool subjacent the coping. It is highly desirable for commercial reasons to show the prospective pool buyer the array of attractive tile in conjunction with copings available to him. To this end the present display case has proved extremely advantageous with the attractive display of border tile and coping promoting the sale of same and having a secondary effect in increased pool sales.

SUMMARY The present display case includes novel means for retention of various tile samples and permitting their convenient display with a coping member. The resulting visual presentation faithfully simulates, on a reduced scale, a segment of a proposed pool wall. The coping may additionally be removably mounted allowing display of various copings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS With attention to the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a frontal, perspective view of an open display case embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the case of FIG. 1 closed and latched;

FIG. 3 is a frontal, perspective view of the case lid detached from the base of the case;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the base of the display case with fragments of case and coping broken away;

FIG. 6 is a sectional, elevational view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a tile sample retainer block removed from the base; and

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a tile sample as used with the present case.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With continuing reference to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1 thereof the reference numeral 10 indicates generally the base of the instant display case which may be of box-like shape open ended on its front side.

A lid generally indicated at 11 is hingedly attached at 12 to the back side of the base, the lid being of right angular construction to provide top and front wall closures respectively at 13 and 14.

To the interior side of the top closure 13 a framework is mounted defining a plurality of ways within which are slidably housed mounted tile samples as at 15, 16 and 17 the latter of which is shown separately in FIG. 8. The framework comprises horizontal cross members 20, as best viewed in FIG. 3, each of which is rabbeted as at 20A to receive the lower margin of the backing plates ISA-17A of the tile samples. A framework end member 21 is similarly rabbeted its length as at 21A to receive the inserted ends of the backing plates.

Hingedly attached at 22 to the cross members is a movable member 23 which may be swung from its closed position in FIG. 1 to the open position of FIG. 3. The movable member 23 serves to retain each of the tile samples in place within its respective way by closing into surface contact with the underside of top wall 13. Inset areas at 24 in the member receive backing plate extensions 15B17B which are apertured for storage on a wire rack when not in the display case. With the member 23 positioned outwardly as shown in FIG. 3 the end of the ways are unobstructed for removal of the selected tile sample. Prior to closing of the lid, a pivotal locking device 24 is swung over member 23 to securely retain it and the samples in place.

The box-like base 10 has a riser 25 mounted therewithin on which is positioned a typical coping sample 26. The riser and coping terminate forwardly in a relationship approximating that of an actual pool wall, the coping member projecting slightly forwardly over the front riser edge. As viewed in FIG. 5 the vertical front wall 27 of the riser projects slightly forwardly at one end at 30 and is grooved at 30A to receive the inserted end of a tile sample backing plate such being equal in height to said front wall.

A retainer block 31, shown separately in FIG. 7, holds the inserted title sample upright in place beneath the superjacent coping. The block has an inset area 32 formed therein which overlies both the end of the backing plate and the extension thereon of the tile sample being displayed. Accordingly the backing plate 18A is temporarily held flush against the front wall 27 of the riser.

A rectangular opening 33 (FIG. 2) in a sidewall of the base slidably receives the block 31 which is locked in place during transit by a latch 34.

With attention to FIGS. 5 and 6 means are disclosed for temporarily mounting the coping member 26 in place on the horizontal surface of the riser 25. Toward this end bolt members 35 are secured at their head ends within the coping while their shank portions extend downwardly through vertical bores 36 formed in the riser with nut elements 37 being inset within countersunk areas 40 in the bottom side of the base. When the sample coping 26 is cast the head ends of the bolt 35 are cast in place therein. Upon removal of the nut elements 37 the coping may be lifted out of place for replacement by a like coping displaying a different style.

The lid 11 is secured in a closed position by hook type locks on both sides of the display case one of such locks being shown at 41 in FIG. 2. A chain 42. in FIG. 1 limits the opening movement of the lid 11 slightly past center for obvious reasons.

The bottom, forward wall of the base may be provided with a surface as at 43 of plaster of paris which further simulates, colorwise, the white pool wall. The attractiveness of the display case is enhanced by using a dark wood for the base material with brass fittings.

While I have shown but one form of the invention it is to be understood that various minor changes will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art such changes being intended to come within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable display case for swimming pool wall coping and border tile associated therewith comprising in combination,

a base having bottom, rear and side walls and being open at its front end,

a sample coping member disposed within said display case in vertical spaced relationship to said bottom wall,

a closure for the display case,

a framework carried by said closure constituting a plurality of ways for the stored deposit of border tile samples,

a moveable member within said framework positionable into and out of closing relationship with said ways to confine said samples, and

means for temporarily mounting one of the border tile samples below said wall coping member to simulate the upper portion of a swimming pool wall.

2. A display case as claimed in claim 1 wherein said baseincludes an integral riser portion therewithin and said sample coping member is removably mounted on said riser portion permitting the interchange of additional coping members to further simulate various coping and border tile combinations.

3. A display case asclaimed in 'claim 2 wherein said sample coping member is of cast construction having integral fastener elements cast therein for passage down- Wardly through bores formed in said riser portion.

4. A display case as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for temporarily mounting onevof the border tile samples includes a tile sample retainer block, one of said side walls defining an opening through which a tile sample may be inserted into place subjacent said coping sample and which opening is occupied by said retainer block with an inserted tile sample being retained in a vertical position below said sample coping member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,748,499 6/ 1 6 Shafer -16 X 3,124,225 3/ 1964 Rosenberg 190-l6 3,408,128 10/1968 Kump 312-234 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

